Churches around the world are asking the same question: How can they reach today’s college students? This generation is very active online, but many are not closely connected to churches. According to the Pew Research Center’s 2023 Religious Landscape Study, about 29% of adults under age 30 in the United States say they have no religious affiliation.
Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/religious-landscape-study-executive-summary/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
At the same time, young adults spend many hours each day on the internet. The 2023 DataReportal Global Digital Report states that people aged 18–24 spend more than seven hours per day online on average. Social media is one of the main ways they discover events, ideas, and communities.
Source: https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-global-overview-report
These trends show both a challenge and an opportunity for the church. If college students are spending much of their time online, outreach must also begin online. AM Korea’s Wave Makers Worship gathering is one example of how this strategy can work effectively.
For this event, AM Korea did not use digital media only as simple advertisement. Instead, digital outreach was part of the main strategy. Before the worship gathering, a promotional video was released online. The video reached many young adults, including those who had never participated in AM Korea activities before. Through online engagement, new participants were invited to attend the in-person worship service.
Several teams worked together to prepare the event. The worship team, media team, promotion team, and welcoming team each had clear roles. The media team created and shared digital content. The promotion team helped spread the message widely. The worship team prepared for praise and the preaching of the Word. The welcoming team made sure that participants felt comfortable and received. This cooperation created an environment where young adults could focus on worship, prayer, and hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
On the day of the gathering, a large group of participants came together and lifted their voices in praise. Many testified that they experienced conviction, comfort, and renewing grace through the Holy Spirit. One participant shared, “As the praise began, I was moved to tears. Many others around me were worshiping wholeheartedly. I clearly sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit. During the sermon and the praise that followed, I experienced healing and renewal, and I was reminded of God’s love and mercy.”
Research also shows that many young people remain spiritually open. According to Barna research on Gen Z, a significant number of young adults express curiosity about Jesus, even if they are not active in church.
Source: https://www.barna.com/trends/teens-curious-about-jesus/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
AM Korea’s Wave Makers gathering reflects this wider trend. When digital outreach is combined with in-person worship, it can bring new people into real spiritual community. Online media becomes a bridge that leads to face-to-face fellowship and gospel proclamation.
Wave Makers will continue to be held regularly. Through this ongoing effort, AM Korea seeks to reach more college students and help nurture their faith. The experience shows that when churches understand how the current generation communicates and connects, they can share the gospel more effectively. In today’s world, digital outreach and in-person worship together can help the church reach the next generation with clarity and purpose.
